Wringer



May- 26, 1942. c. K. sKlNNER 2,284,453

' wRINeER Filed Feb; 7, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 ttor-heg Patented May 26,1942 miran sans i man I I .WmGER Charles K.

New York Skinner, Southport, wenn., assigner to General ElectricCompany, aoorporation of Application February?, i940, .Serial No.3173115 d Claims. (Cl. 68u25@ The present invention relates to clotheswringers of the type suitable for use with domestic washing machines.

The object of my invention is to provide awringer having a light forilluminating the wringer rolls, and for a consideration of what Ibelieve novel and my invention, rected to the following description andthe claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly brokenaway of a wringer em-4 bodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional elevation of one'end 'of the wringer; Fig. 3 is a' top planview of the plate containing the cam slot used for shifting the drivinggears for the wringer; Fig.A 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-5 ofFig. 2, the wringer being in the inoperative condition-inwhieh thepressure between the wringer rolls is released; Fig. 5 is an enlargedview of the wringer detent and the con= struction for conductingelectricity to the lamp; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig..4, the

' wringer being in the operative condition in which the wringerrolls arepressed together; Fig. is a perspective view of one end of the controlbar; perspective view of one of the spring pressed members for pressingthe upper roll against the tion of the control barshowing the lampmounted therein; and Fig. is a sectional View of the contacts conductingelectricity from the spring pressed members to the lamp.

Referring to the drawing, there isfshown a wringer having a framecomprising side stiles i and 2. The side stile l is iixedto a wringerhead 3 having a depending tubular portion for pivotally supporting thewringer on` a wringer post 5 xecl at its lower end to a casing 5ahousing the washing machine driving mechanism. The bottom member of thewringer 'frame comprises a bar 3a bolted to the wringer head and to theside stile 2. The outer end of the side stile 2' is covered by a plate 6suitably xed thereto. The tubular portion 4 of the wringer head isprovided with aspring pressed detent 'i which is adapted to t in any oneof a series of spaced openings 8 in a collar 9 to lock the wringer in afixed angular position with respect to the wringer post. The collarrounding the wringer post and clamped tothe upper edge of the washingmachine tub 9b. The

tub is supported on a skirt 9c which also sup-- ports the casing 5a.A-cover for the tub is indicated at 9d. Through the wringer post extendsa wringer drive shaft vil) which is continuously attention is dilowerroll; Fig. 9 is a sectional elevarotated by the washing machine drivingmechanism housed in the casing 5a. The shaft i@ projects beyond theupper end of the wringer post and on its projecting, end is fixed apinion il which isadapted to mesh selectively. with one or the other ofa pair of crown gears l2. The crown gears are welded to a sleeve I3which is slidably splined on a horizontal shaft It. The

left-hand end of shaft It is journaled in a bear' ing l5 carried inV aboss IS on the wringer head s. -The right-hand end of the shaft it hasfixed Y .thereto a coupling member I1 which rotates in a bearing I8 in aboss I9 on the side stile l and serves as a support for this end of theshaft It. The gears i2 are shifted by a yoke 20 which fits over thegears and is pivoted at its left end on the boss i6 and at its right endon the shaft is.

,Thrust washers 2| are arranged between the inner faces of theyoke andthe outer faces ofthe gears l2. 0n the upper side of the yoke 20 is xeda plate 22 (Figf3) having a cam slot4 23 therein 'which cooperates witha pin- 2li threaded into the top wall of the wringer head. With this.construction it is obvious that as the .yoke 2@ is pivoted on the shaftIt the pin 26 will cooperate with the cam slot 23 to move the yoke 2@ tothe right or left so that one or .the other of the gears i2 will meshwith the driving pini'on H, thus controlling 4the rotation of the shaftit. When the driving pinion Il meshes with one of the gears l2 the pin24 rests in one of the portions 25 of the cam slot 23.'

The lower and upper wringer rolls 26 and 2i are` carried between theside stiles l and 2. The lower wringer roll 26 is fixed toa shaft 28 theright end of which is rotatably carried in a clothes from passing beyondthe endsof .the

9 is xed in asleeve 9a surrolls. The left end of theshaft 28 terminatesin a coupling 36 having a pin 35 xed therein, the

projecting ends of which extend within cooperating slots in the couplingmember I1. The left end of the shaft 28 is supported by a cylindricalportion 36.0f the coupling 35 which extends within a depression 81 inthe coupling member ii. i

The upper wringer roll 21 is rotatably carried on a shaft 38 xed at eachend to vertically extending arms 39 which are connected at their upperends by a control bar -which extends -roll guards 3l and 32 (Figs. 2 and6). Above the bosses 4I are pins43 which are pressed into the .outerfaces of the arms 39. Below the pins 43 are the reduced projecting ends444 of .the

shaft 3l. The projections 43 and 44 are loosely receivable in verticalslots 45 in pressure members or receivers 46. As shown in Fig. 4, thepressure members are slidably carried in the side stiles I and 2 a'ndare urged dofvcrnward against bosses or shoulders 41 on the side stilesby coil springs 50 surrounding bolts 49 extending up through the`bosses41 in the side stiles and threaded into bosses 49 on the pressuremembers. The coil springs 56 are arranged between the under side of thebosses V41 and the heads of the bolts. The lower position of thepressure memb ers 46 is adjusted by washers 5I arranged between theupper sidev of the shoulders 41 and the -lowerside of the bosses 49. Theupper po' sition of the pressure members 'is limited by'the tension ofthe springs .56. 'I'he upper vends of the pressure members are guided'byguides 52. at the top of thevside stiles I and 2.

. When the upper roll and control bar-are in the position shown in Fig.4,-the pressure between the rolls is released since the controlbar andupper against flat surfaces` 60 on the pressure members 46. Thesesurfaces cooperate to limit the movement of the projections 44 under therollers In the course of the movement of the projections 44 under therollers 66 the pressure exerted on the upper roll 2-1 l opposes themovement until the center line of the projection reaches a center lineconnecting the roller 66 and the lower wringer roll 26. After thispointis reached the force exerted on.the upper roll by the' lower roll'aids the movement ofthe projections 44 under the rollers 66, and whenthe fl'nal position is reached, as shown in Fig. 6, this pressure holdsthe projections underthe rollers. At this time the pins 43 areout ofcontact with the rollers 53 and are not eiective in maintaining thepressure between the rolls.

As the control bar 40 is moved to the inclined position shown in Fig. 6,the bosses 4I at the lowerends of the arms 39 cooperate with the openended slots 42 in the roll guards 39 and 32 toA tilt the roll guards tothe .position shown in Fig. 6. 'I'his tilting movement of the roll guardroll are free to move upward in the slots or recesses 45 in the-pressuremembers 46. In this position the bosses 4I cooperate with the-slots 42in the roll guards 39 and 32 to move the roll guards to a centralposition. The roll guard 32 .now cooperates with the 'yoke 20 tomaintain both of the gears' I2 spaced fronti the driving pinion I I, asshown in Flg.-1. Therefore, the rotation of the' rolls is stopped inaddition to the roll pressure being released.

sz 1s transmitted tov the yoke 2n by means of a tongue 6I on the yokewhich ilts in a groove62 in theroll guard 32 and,.as' explained aboveVIcauses the yoke to bemoved axially along the shaft I4 due to thecooperation of the pin 24 and the camslot v23. 'I'his movesone or'theother of n the gears I2 into mesh with the driving `pinion llt. Thegearing is arranged so that when the control bar' and starts therotation of the lower roll.

is` pulled toward the operator, the rolls are rotated in the directionto feed clothes away from the operator. v

The tilting movement of the roll guards 36 and 32 is also used toltiltthe wringer drainboard 63.

To apply the roll pressure and to start.the ro- .I

tation of the rolls, the control bar 46 is pulled toward the operator tothe inclined position shown in Fig. 6. In moving toward this positionthe vpins 4 3 at each end of the control bar engage vrollers 53 whichare rotatably carried-on opposite sides of the recesses on pins. 54fixed at each end to spaced walls 65 in the pressure members 46. Thespaced walls 65 provide arecess for receiving-'the rollers 53, as isshown more clearlyin Fig: 8.-- Upon engagement of the pins 43 with thero1lers53 on one side of the recesses 45, .the pins-43 serve asfulcrums, about which the control bar pivots. The pivotal movement ofthe control bar causes'the projections 44 Y at the lower ends of thearms 39 to be forced un' j der the rollers 56.

to thepressure members 46. When the projec-y tions 44 are forced orwedsed under the rollers 56,'the upper roll 21 is forced against thelower' roll 26. The pressure members- 46 are slightly raised above thewashers 5I, as shown in Fig. 6,

compressing the coil springs 5I)` and applying pressure between thewringer rolls.' The force exerted on the' upper wringerroll acts in thedirection ofthe arrow 53 (Fig- 6).l 'I'his force ate with the surfaces60 on the pressure mem-v4 therefore tends to maintain the projections 44under the rollers 56. In this position flat surfaces 59 at the lowerendsof the arms 39 rest horizontal position.

The drainboard is pivoted at each end on bosses 64 respectively on theside vstile 2'and on the wringer head 3. Whenthe roll guards are in thecentral position vshown in Figs. 1 and 4, tongues 65 on the roll guardscooperate with notches 66 in the drainboard to move the drainboard to aWhen the roll guards are tilted to the position shown in Fig. 6, thetongues y65 cooperate with the notches 66 to tilt the drainboard to aposition in which the water falling in the drainboard is drained towardthe operator.

This is the proper direction ifclothes are fed from the side of thewringer which the operator faces.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, the lower roll is,as described above, rotated in the direction of the arrow 61. The torqueexerted'on the upper roll by the lower roll accordingly tends lto holdthe projections `44 un- The pressure between'the rolls is released andthe rotation of the rolls is stopped by returning the control bar 40 tothe central or vertical position. This means that the upper end of thecon- 'trol bar 40 is moved to the left ias viewed in Fig. 6.

Since the pins 43 are out of contact with the rollers 53 the control barpivots about the projections.

44 at the start of. this movement. The iiat surfaces 59 at the lowerends'of the arms39 cooperbers46 to pry the projections 44 from under therollers '56. Since the point of contact between` l the surfaces 59 and60 is very close to the center 1 ofthe projections 44, `a large leverageisobtained' to assist the prying action. Whenthe projections 44 move tothe right of a center line connecting the lower roll and the rollers 56,the roll pressure begins to assist in moving the projections 44 fromunder the rollers 56. Since the roll pressure is large compared to theforce. exerted by the operator on the control bar, the additionalmovement of the control bar from this position to the central positionof Fig. 4 is easily'effected. The pins 43 are moved clear of the rollers53. be fore the projections 44 are released from the rollers 56. Therollers 53 and projections 43 have substantially no action during' thepressure release. There may be a momentary contact between theprojections 43 and rollers 53.

Upon the return of the control bar to the central position the rotationof the rolls is stopped Y and the roll pressure is'released.

At the center of the control bar 40 are outwardly extending walls 68providing a recess facing the upper roll 21 and housing'an electric lamp69. The lamp is carried in a socket xed to the upper side` of therecess. Electricity is conducted to the lamp terminals by a conductor 1I grounded to the control bar and by a. conductor 12 extending along theunder side of the control bar through an opening 13 in the arm 39 andconnected to a binding post 14. As shown in Fig. 10, the binding post 14extends through an insulating sleeve 15 in a boss 16 in the arm 39, andat its lower end is threaded into a contact 11 within an insulatingsleeve 18 having its ends slightly below the surface of flat surfaces 59of the control bar. Opposite ends of the contact 11 are arranged tocooperate respectively with contacts 19v slidable within insulatingsleeves 89 in the receivers I46 and having the inner ends thereofprojecting through surfaces 60 on the receivers in alignment with thecontact 19. The contacts 19 are pressed inward by springs 8l Figs. 6-and l0, to apply the wringer pressure and to start the rotation of the.wringer rolls as described above, one of lthe ends of the contact 11 ismoved into engagementvwith one of the contacts 19, establishing thecircuit to the lamp 69.,

The walls 68 dening the recess housing the lamp `serve as a reiiector,`directing the light downward on the upper roll. The tilted position 0fthis control Bar when the wringer is in its operative. condition resultsin the greater portion o! the light being directed on the bite of thewringer rolls. The illumination of bite of the wringer connected onbinding posts 82 to which are con- 81. A brush 90 carried in the collar9 cooperates with the collector ring and conducts electricity theretofrom a conductor 9| extending down along the wringer post 5 andconnected to one side of the secondary of a low voltage transformer 92mounted on the casing 5a. The other side of the transformer secondary isgrounded by a conductor 93 to the casing 5a. casing, the wringer post,and the wringer are all in electrical contact the metal parts of thewringer and washing machine form one side of the electric circuit to thelamp. The primary of the transformer is connected to a source ofelectricity by conductors 94.

When the control bar is in its central position, the surfaces 59 on thecontrol bar are spaced from the surfaces 66 von the receivers 46 and thecontacts 11 and 19 are accordingly separated, breaking the circuit tothe lamp 69. When the control bar is tilted to the position shown inSince the r'olls decreases the danger of accidents. When the rollpressure is released, the control bar 40 is returned to the centralposition of Fig. 4, separating the contacts 11 and 19 and breaking thecircuit to the lamp, 69. The lamp therefore serves as an indicator ofthe condition cf the wringer.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

`1. In a wringer, a lower roll, an upper roll, a

carrier therefor, aframe carrying the lower roll and having provisionsfor loosely receiving the carrier in an upright position, cam meanseffective upon tilting of the carrier from said upright position forforcing the upper roll against the lower roll, a lamp on the carrier forilluminating the rolls, and means including contacts respectively uponthe frame and carrier engaged upon movement of the carrier to a tiltedposition for controlling the lamp. y

2. In a wringer, upper and lower rolls, a frame carrying the rolls andincluding a member extending across the top ofthe wringer, a recess in.the under side of said member facing the rolls.

a lamp within said recess for illuminating the' rolls, control means forplacing the wringer in operative and inoperative conditions, andcontacts responsive to the position of said control means forcontrolling the lamp.

3. In combination, a wringer post, a wringer having a frame pivotedthereon for swinging movement, rolls carried in the frame, a lamp forilluminating the rolls mounted on the wringerl frame, said lamp having apair 'of terminals, one `of the terminals being grounded to the frameand the other terminal being connected toa conductor insulated from theframe, and a brush and collector ring on the wringer post and frame forconducting electricity to said conductor.

4. In a wringer, a lower roll, an upper roll, a carrier thereforextending across the top of the wringer, aframe carrying the lower rolland having provisions for loosely receiving the carrier in an uprightposition, means effective upon tilting of the carrier from said uprightposition for vpressing the upper roll against the lower roll.

wa'lls on said carrier defining a recess facing the rolls, a lamp insaid recess for illuminating the rolls, said lamp having 'a pair ofterminals, one ofwhich is grounded to the carrier and the other of whichis connected to a contact on the carrier, and acooperating contact. onthe frame positioned to be engaged by said first contact when thecarrier is tilted.

CHARLES K. SKINNER. j

